The April Steak and Crab Cake Offer at Sullivan's Steakhouse -- Get It While You Still Can

When I think of surf and turf, I automatically think of steak and lobster, but to many food lovers, crab is the sweeter "turf": Its meat is more delicate, its fragrance more subtle and its flavor more pleasing. Which is why, when Sullivan's Steakhouse announced its April Steak and Cake special, I made it a point to go and try it.

For $39, the April Steak and Cake offer gets you a refreshing wedge or Caesar salad, a whole crab cake and an eight-ounce filet mignon, a savings of about $10 on the normal price of those items. It's a great deal if you're feeling like a good steak and love crab. I happen to love both.

The crab cake was large and mostly lump crab meat. Instead of the panfried versions you often see, this one was loosely packed together and baked, so you could see the quality of the large, golden-crusted, succulent pieces throughout. It was served on top of creamy Cajun roasted garlic, but the quality of the cake was so good, it really didn't need the sauce. This was not your Maryland-style cake with breading -- it was almost pure crab through and through, with the flesh buttery, moist, sweet and thoroughly enjoyable.

An eight-ounce filet mignon still sizzled as it was presented. The crust was seared to perfection.

The steak was also perfection, with a just-crisp outer sear that sealed in the juices of the thick and tender filet. I had ordered mine medium-rare, and when I cut into the meat, the color and temperature were exactly what I wanted. The steak was served without sauce, but it too didn't need any. The outer shell was well-seasoned but not overly salty, and the heart of the meat was also tender and full of flavor.

Some of the best hummus I've ever had, made with black-eyed peas, $10.

I skipped the salad because I wanted to try some drinks and appetizers from the new bar menu, and ended up indulging in a bit too much flatbread that night. The black-eyed pea hummus, served in a canning jar with chili-crusted flatbread chips and pickled veggies, was generously portioned and fantastic. In fact, it was probably the best hummus I've ever tasted, thanks in large part to Greek-born Executive Chef Teli Trikili. I liked it so much, I asked to take my leftovers to go.

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Likewise, the wild mushroom arugula flatbread, with sautéed wild mushrooms, arugula and truffle oil, was too good to stop at just one piece. The generously sized pizza-like flatbread, served on a long wooden board, smelled decadent and tasted even more so, with the truffle oil adding a luxurious accent to the sautéed wild mushrooms.

The $39 Steak and Cake offer is available through April. If you don't make it in time, grab a seat on the patio, enjoy the weather and try some of their Mediterranean-inspired appetizers, tapas-style. Or you can go for the gold and do both, like I did. You'll leave satiated and happy, with leftovers to boot.

Mai Pham is a contributing freelance food writer and food critic for the Houston Press whose adventurous palate has taken her from Argentina to Thailand and everywhere in between -- Peru, Spain, Hong Kong and more -- in pursuit of the most memorable bite. Her work appears in numerous outlets at the local, state and national level, where she is also a luxury travel correspondent for Forbes Travel Guide.